Signal device



1941. I L. RITTENHOUSE ETAL 2,263,051

SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1940 Q I INVENTORS zg azazzeme BY 3-. ez ioZZori W.

flair ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGNAL navrcr.

Lloyd Rittenhouse, Honeoye Falls, and Kenneth M. Lord, Canandaigua, N.Y., assignors to The A. E. Rittenhouse 00., Inc., Honeoye Falls, N. Y.,a corporation of New York Application February 5, 1940, Serial No.317,308

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a signal device, with more particularreference to the general type of construction including one or morechime elements with electromagnetically operated striker mechanism, andit has for its purpose to provide a simple arrangement that iseconomical to manufacture, and which will effectively control the timeof opening of the circuit to the electromagnetic mechanism after it hasbeen manually closed.

Heretofore in the operation of such chime signals where operated by amanual switch located in the same circuit with a striker operatingelectromagnetic coil, a chime is struck as frequently as the push buttonor switch is operated, and where two chime elements are successivelystruck by an electromagnetically actuated striker moving in oppositedirections upon closing and opening the circuit, the first chime elementis struck the moment the switch is closed but the second chime elementis not struck until the switch is released. Upon such release, thesecond chime element is struck andthe first chime element can beimmediately struck again by again operating the switch, resulting in aquick succession of tones from both chime elements as fast as the switchis closed and opened.

A purpose of the present invention is to prevent this kind of operation,so that there is always a fixed predetermined period of time between thesuccessive striking of two electromagnetically operated chime elements,or between similar successive operations of a single or double chimesignal device, such interval being not dependent on the length of timethe switch or push button is held closed.

A more particular object of the invention is to afford a constructionwhereby when the manual switch of such an electromagnetically operatedsignal device is operated, a main controlling circuit is closed andremains closed for a predetermined time even though the manual switch isimmediately released, at the end of which interval a second circuit isclosed and remains closed for a predetermined time, so that successivesignals cannot be given except with a deflnite period of time betweenthem, this interval being determined automatically by control meanswithin the mechanism, and beyond the control of the operator.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction andarrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the followingdescription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, thenovel features being pointed out in the claims following thespecification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a signal device including twochime tubes with a solenoid controlling each and showing the inventionapplied thereto, and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits which control theoperation of the several parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like referencenumerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, Idesignates a base plate or support carrying suitable brackets from whichare suspended the chime elements in the form of tubes 2 and 3.

The chime tube 2 is engaged by a suitable electromagnetically operatedstriker, which in the present instance is in the form of a striker tip 4carried by a plunger 5, forming part of a solenoid including the coil 6,while chime tube 3 is engaged by a striker tip 1 on the plunger 8forming part of a solenoid including the coil 9, though it will beunderstood that coils may be used to operate strikers other than asparts of a solenoid plunger, as herein shown.

The plunger 5 is withdrawn from the chime tube 2 after the latter isstruck, and then returned to its initial position, by a spring I, whilethe plunger 8 is likewise moved away from the chime tube 3 immediatelyafter impact of the striker l therewith, and then returned to itsinitial position, by the spring II, as usual in devices of thischaracter.

Referring to Fig. 2, the coil 6 is controlled by a main circuit, and tothis end is connected at one end to a conductor l2 leading to a bindingpost I 3 and thence through a push button switch I4 to one side of theline, while the other end of coil 6 is connected by conductor I5 througha heater coil It to a contact I1,-thence through a bimetallicspring-action switch l8 to a conductor l9, and to the other side of theline, The bimetallic switch IB is normally in the position shown in Fig.2, closing the circuit through contact l1, so that when the push buttonswitch I is operated, the coil 6 is immediately energized and theplunger 5 moves to bring its striker tip against the chime tube 2.

It is desirable to maintain the main circuit to the coil 6 closed for apredetermined time whether or not the manual switch [4 is held closed orimmediately released, and this is accomplished by providing a secondaryshunt circuit around the manual switch 14 and governing such secondarycircuit by means of the striker, or plunger 5.

This secondary circuit includes a conductor 2| extending from thebinding post I3 to a spring contact 22, arranged to be engaged by aspring contact 23, from which a conductor 24 leads to a binding post 25and thence to the same side of the line as conductor l2. The springcontact 23 carries a projection 26 that engages a recess 21 in theplunger 5. Consequently as the plunger is drawn inward y upon closingthe circuit to metallic switch l3 and the conductor l9.

the coil 6 through the manual switch II, the projection 23 is movedoutwardly by the beveled surface 23 on the plunger, causing springcontact 23 to engage the contact 22 and closing the secondary circuit atthat point, and thus holding the main circuit closed after the manualswitch II is released.

The main circuit governing the coil 6 thus remains closed for apredetermined fixed period, and until the heater coil It has developedenough heat to aifect the bimetallic switch I! and move it away fromengagement with contact II to break the main circuit at that point. Atthe instant that the circuit to coil 6 is broken, it is desirable in thepresent embodiment to close a circuit to cofl 3, and this isaccomplished when the bimetallic switch ll, upon breaking engagementwith contact l1; moves into engagement with the contact 3|, the switchl3 being always in engagement with contact I! or contact 3|, dependingupon the temperature produced by the heater coil.

A circuit to :oil 3 is then completed from binding post 25 throughconductor 32 to one end of the coil 3 and from the other end of the coil3 through conductor 33 to contact 3| and through the bimetallic switchit to conductor (3 to the other side of the line. Thus the circuit tothe coil 8 remains closed until the bimetallic switch l3 has cooled offsuiliciently to cause it to move away from engagement with contact 3|and to be restored to engagement with contact I'I. At this time, theplunger 5 will already have been returned to initial position by itscontrolling spring, and the contacts 22 and 23 will have been separated.

The operation of the construction briefly is as follows: Upon closingthe manual switch ll, coil 6 is immediately energized by closing themain circuit through binding post l3, conductor l2, conductor l5, heatercoil l6, contact l|,'bi-

Immediately upon movement of the striker, or plunger 5 from its initialposition toward the chime tube 2, the circuit is closed to the coil 6around the manual switch It, through the shunt circuit including bindingpost 25, conductor 24, contacts 23 and 22, conductor 2|, binding post l3and conductor l2, and the main circuit to coil 3 remains closed untilthe bimetallic switch It! is operated by the heater coil I6, disengagingcontact I1 and moving into engagement with contact 3|, whereupon acircuit is closed to the second coil 9 through conductors 32 and 33,contact 3|, bimetallic switch I8 and conductor l9. This latter circuitremains closed until the bimetallic switch has cooled sufilciently torestore' it to its normal position.

With this arrangement, the second chime tube cannot be struck until apredetermined interval has elapsed after the striking of the first chimetube, and the operation cannot be repeated until a predeterminedinterval has elapsed after the second chime tube has been struck,dependent upon the operation of the heater coil l6 and bimetallic switchl8.

It is thus impossible to obtain aseries oi signals in quick succession,or to operate the signal by manipulating the manual switch I4 twice inquick succession, since the second operation ofthemanualswitchwillnoteffectastrikingofa chime tube until thebimeta'ilic switch It has beenrestoredtoitsnormalpositionbycooling.

The invention is abo applicable to an electromagneflcally operated.single chime signal, or to thetypeofchimesignalinwhichonestrikeractuatoris employed to strike successively two opposed chime elements, thusfixing the interval between two succesive movements of a single strikeractuator in opposite directions, the striker being held in proximity tothe first chime ele ment untilthemaincoilcircuitisopenedbythe automaticcontrolling mechanism whereupon the striker would be released andreturned to strike the second chime element.

While the invention has been herein disclosed in conjunction with aparticular arrangement and as applied to two electromagneticallyoperated units and controlling circuits therefor, it will be understoodthat it is not restricted to the precise details herein set forth, andthe application is intended to cover such changes or other adaptationsas may come within the purposes of the improvement and the scope of thefollowing claims.

We claim:

1. In a signal device, the combination with a pair of sound elements andelectmmagnetically operated striker mechanism therefor embodyimapairofcoilsandastrikertoreachcoiLamain circuit in which one of saidcoils is located, a manual switch in said main circuit, a circuitcontrolling the other coil. means controlled by the striker of said maincircuit acting to hold said circuit closed after the manual switch isreleased, and means acting automatically to open said circuit and toclose the circuit to the other coil after a predetermined period oftime.

2. In a signal device, the combination with a 1 circuit connecting themain circuit and the other of said coils, an electro-responsive switchacting alternately to connect and disconnect said circuits, means insaid main circuit governing said electro-responsive switch, and a shuntcircuit controlled by the striker of said main circuit acting to holdsaid main circuit closed. after the manual switch is released.

3. In a signal device, the combination with pair of sound elements andelectromagnetically operated striker mechanism therefor embodying a pairof coils and a striker for each coil, a main circuit in which one ofsaid coils is located, a manual switch in said main circuit, a secondcircuit connecting the main circuit and the other of said coils, anelectro-responsive switch acting alternately to connect and disconnectsaid circuits, means in said main circuit governing saidelectro-responsive switch, a shunt circuit around the manual switch ofsaid main circuit, a switch in said shunt circuit in the path of thestriker of said circuit and adapted to be engaged and moved thereby toclose'the shunt circuit when said striker is operated.

- LLOYD RITTENHOUSE. KENNETH M. LORD.

